


The Sunshine of Stardew Valley

by SkylarEQuinn



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:41:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarEQuinn/pseuds/SkylarEQuinn
Summary: Sebastian had always been a loner, and he had grown accustomed to it. So accustomed, in fact, that when he saves a newcomer to town after she had barely escaped the town, he has no intentions of befriending her. Yet when she keeps coming around and dragging him into her shenanigans, he can't help but develop a soft spot for her. But just how deep do his feelings go?
Relationships: Evelyn/George (Stardew Valley), Jodi/Kent (Stardew Valley), Robin/Demetrius (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

22 Years Previous

Three-year-old Sebastian McCarthy sat on his mother’s lap as she finished reading him his nightly bedtime story. He looked up at her with his clear blue eyes. “Momma, what was my daddy like?” he asked, wondering if he was like the father in the fairy tale he had just heard. “Was he big and strong like the prince’s daddy?”

“The biggest and the strongest,” Robin McCarthy insisted, smiling down at her little boy. She ruffled his shaggy, red hair. “He was always kind to others and helped everyone that he could. If you think about it, he was one of the true heroes of Pelican Town.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened with wonder. “Wow,” he breathed. “Momma, do you think one day I’ll be like him?”

She smiled. “That’s the only thing in my life that I’m absolutely sure of. Sebby, you are your daddy’s boy through and through. I couldn’t ask for a better little boy. You’re all I will ever need in life. It’s you and me versus the world.”

“Don’t worry, Momma,” he giggled. “I’ll protect you just like Daddy did.”

Robin snuggled him close. “That’s right, Sebby. You’re going to grow up to do great things, I just know it. Your daddy would be so proud of you if he were here right now. Right now, I bet he’s smiling down from Heaven, pointing you out to Yoba with pride. You are everything he ever dreamed you would be and so much more.” She kissed the top of his head. “But it’s bedtime now. Sweet dreams, sweetheart.” She tucked him in, smiling. “I love you, Sebastian.”

“I love you too, Momma,” he said, snuggling in under the covers. “Sweet dreams.”

As she shut the light off and left her son’s bedroom, Robin smiled to herself. Never in a million years could she ever ask for a better son.

.

21 Years Previous

“Sebby, honey, how would you feel about me marrying Demetrius?” Robin asked her son. “I think he would be a great father to you. Besides, it’s time we had a man in this house.” She smiled at the ginger-haired boy who had previously been playing with blocks on their living room floor. “Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Does that mean he would live here?” the boy slowly asked. He looked up at his mother. “I don’t want him to be my daddy. I already have one.” Sebastian turned back to his blocks and began stacking them once more.

“Honey, we need someone like Demetrius,” she sighed. “It’s hard to raise a child on your own. Don’t you hate going to work with me sometimes? If Demetrius were with us, then you could stay home and play since he and I work different shifts. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“No,” Sebastian answered, a hint of boredom in his voice. “He isn’t fun. He’s a nerd, and I don’t like him.”

Robin sighed. There had to be a way to break it to her son that she would be marrying Demetrius. But how was the question. “If I married Demetrius, maybe you can have a little brother or sister. Would you like that?”

“I’m fine by myself,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I don’t need a brother or sister when I have you, Momma.” Suddenly, he stood and looked Robin in the eyes. “We don’t need him, Momma. We already have Daddy.” To prove his point, he kicked his tower of blocks over, never breaking eye contact. “I don’t want him to live with us.”

.

20 Years Previous

Sebastian grimaced once he stepped into the home he and his mother shared with Demetrius. He had stayed at Sam’s house for a few days while his mom had a baby, even though he had told her many times that he didn’t want the baby or Demetrius. His disgust became more evident when he saw the pink bundle of blankets in his mother’s arms and the smile on hers and Demetrius’s faces as they gazed at it.

“Sebby, sweetie, come here,” Robin cooed to her son. “Come meet your sister.” She sat down in the rocking chair, pink bundle in her lap. “I bet she wants to meet you, too.”

The boy could feel the anger building up inside of him. First, Demetrius married his mother and changed her last name to Wright, like his. Sebastian had refused to change his name to anything but his father’s last name. His father would never be forgotten so easily. Then, his mother had told him he was going to have a little brother or sister. And now, there Robin sat, in the rocking chair that she had always sat in with him, holding what was apparently his new baby sister.

Sebastian slowly stepped over to look at the baby. He saw how dark her skin was in comparison to his. How was she his sister? Didn’t siblings look alike? There was no way she could be his sister.

“This is Maru, Sebastian,” Demetrius proudly stated. “Isn’t she pretty?”

“No,” the boy flatly answered. “She’s not my sister.” He then turned and walked away to his room to go and sulk.

“He’ll warm up to her in time,” Demetrius told his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Seb just needs some time to adjust.”

Robin sighed. “I really hope so.”

.

Present Day

Sebastian typed away at the computer in his room. There were days when he loved being a programmer, and there were days when he detested it. This would happen to be one of those days. He was the only one working on the project, his online team nowhere to be found. Checking the clock, he saw that it was nearly six. He had been working on it for seven hours. If he was going to get it done, he really needed to go and take a smoke break.

On his way up the stairs, he could hear Robin speaking excitedly to either Demetrius or Maru. “She’s just the most adorable thing!” she enthused. “And I think it’s great that she’s come to take over her grandfather’s farm! She’s also really sweet and polite! I invited her over for dinner tomorrow since she had no one else here.” 

“I think that’s a great idea, Robin,” Demetrius agreed. “Since she came all the way from the city, she needs a nice welcome to a town like Pelican Town.”

“That’s what I was thinking, Honey!” Robin laughed heartily. “Great minds think alike, huh? But she’s right in between Sebby and Maru’s ages.” Her voice lowered a little, as if she knew her son were coming up the stairs. “Maybe she’ll be able to charm our Sebastian.”

By that time, Sebastian had reached the top of the stairs. He could see his mother talking to her husband in his lab, her back to him and Demetrius focused on his work. “And maybe she won’t,” he flatly stated before leaving the house to smoke.

.

Just as he was finishing up his cigarette, Sebastian happened to look over toward the cave to see a girl stumbling out of it. He had never seen her before and wasn’t going to call out to her or anything until he saw her collapse. Before he could think about it, he ran over toward her as fast as he could, casting his cigarette into the lake.

Upon reaching her, he noticed that she had all sorts of cuts and gashes on her. What could have done this to her? Noticing that some were still bleeding, he decided to gingerly lift her and carry her to his home.

“Don’t let go,” she weakly said, squeezing her eyes shut as she clung desperately to his hoodie. “I…” Before she could finish her sentence, the girl passed out cold.

Sebastian desperately kicked at the front door of the house until he could hear some angry stomping approaching the door. “Please!” he called through the door. “Open the door! Someone!”

“Sebastian, the door is unlocked!” Robin shouted, throwing the front door open. “You don’t need to make so much…” Her voice trailed off when she saw the unconscious girl in her son’s arms. “Fia!” she cried out, dread overtaking her. She desperately looked up at her son. “Seb, where did you find her?! Oh, Yoba!”

Her son stepped through the door. “She collapsed on her way out of the mine. There’s no telling what creature did this to her, but it must have been tough. Where do you want me to put her?” He did his best not to look down at her face. Though the girl was unconscious, her face expressed the pain she was in, and her cheeks were rosy with fever.

“This may be too much to ask, but could we put her on the sofa in your room?” his mother asked, biting her lip. “Demetrius is already asleep, or I’d put her in my own bed. Give me a sec to grab a first-aid kit.”

“Yeah, we can do that,” he replied, making his way toward the basement stairs. Sebastian set her on his sofa a few moments later, and that was when he got a good look at her face. He noticed how young she looked and felt sad about the way she clung to him, even after he set her down. “Hey,” he softly said, looking to be sure his mother hadn’t entered. “It’s okay. I’m not going to leave you, alright? Just hang in there. You’ll feel better in no time.” He made to move her hair out of her face and felt just how high her fever was. “You’re burning up. We need to get those wounds cleaned up.”

Robin burst through his bedroom door like an avalanche, Maru following behind her in full Nurse Mode. Shooing her son away for a bit, she and her daughter went to work on the young girl on the sofa. Desperate for a distraction, Sebastian went back to his programming.

.

A few hours later, as Sebastian lit a cigarette, stepping away from his computer, he saw the girl on his sofa begin to stir in her sleep. His mother and sister, having gone to bed long ago, left it up to him to tend to her until morning. They had used the argument, “You’re always up all night anyway,” to seal the deal. But what was he truly supposed to do if she woke up?

“W-Where am I?” she softly asked. The girl attempted to sit up and clutched at her head, falling back onto the black sofa. “W-What’s going on?”

Sebastian sighed in dismay and put out his cigarette in his ashtray. “You barely escaped the mine,” he explained, walking over toward the sofa. “I brought you home and my mother and sister tended to you. That really was quite the feat you accomplished. Not many people ever go into the mines, and even fewer live to tell the tale.”

“You’re just messing with me,” the girl weakly replied, closing her green eyes as she rested a hand on her forehead. “I’m not afraid of the mines. I just got my butt kicked a little more than I had originally planned. That’s all.”

“So what you’re saying is that you did intend to get your butt kicked at least a little?” he teasingly asked with a smirk.

“Shut up,” she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as her head seemed to pulsate. “Who are you anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before in my life. Besides, your skin is so pale that I doubt you’ve ever seen the sun in your entire life.”

“Oh, so you’ve got jokes too?” Sebastian chuckled. “Got a name, kid?”

“Fia Thomas,” she replied. “And I’m not a kid. I’ll have you know I’m 23 years old, so suck it.”

“Is that any way to speak to the man who saved you?” he asked with a smirk. He liked this girl. It made him wonder where she came from and what she was doing in a place like Pelican Town. Who in their right mind would willingly come to this town?

“Thanks for saving me,” she dryly replied, opening one eye to look at him as she grinned. “And you are?”

“Sebastian McCarthy. I’m the town carpenter’s son.”

“You’re Robin’s son?” Fia squealed. “I love Robin! She’s so nice! She’s been so kind to me in advising what I need on my new farm!”

“Wait,” Sebastian replied. “You’re the new farmer?”


	2. Chapter 2

23 Years Previous

“Is he already sleeping?” Colin McCarthy asked his wife. He cracked open the door to his two-year-old son’s room but found it too dark to tell. “I can’t really tell, Robin. Then again, he really plays hard, doesn’t he?” With a small sigh, he closed the door and turned back to Robin, pulling her close. “I suppose his gift can wait until tomorrow.”

Robin smiled at her husband. “You brought something back for him too?” she asked, thinking back to him presenting her with the finest topaz she had ever seen upon his arrival. “I think our sweet Sebby will really enjoy anything you bring him. You know, whenever you’re off in the mines, he’s always telling me that he’s going to be a miner just like you one day.”

“He does?” Colin asked, blushing. “While I’m flattered, mining is really dangerous. I don’t know what I would ever do if something were to happen to him in the mines.” He rested his head atop Robin’s, holding her close. “There has to be something we can do to convince him not to.”

“I don’t think him wanting to be like you is a bad thing,” she chimed in, smiling as she snuggled closer to him. “It just means that he chose a good hero.”

.

The next morning, Colin sat Sebastian on his lap and rummaged in his pocket for what he planned to give his son. “Alright, Seb, are you ready to see what Daddy brought back for you?”

“Yeah!” Sebastian cheered, his eyes wide with excitement.

Colin patted his son’s mess of red hair before pulling a teardrop-shaped stone from his pocket. It was roughly the size of his palm. “This, my son, is the frozen tear of a Yeti!” he began, ready to plunge into a false heroic tale of the perils he faced to obtain it. “It’s said that when a Yeti cries, it’s tears are so cold that they turn to ice upon leaving its eye! I was in the frozen depths of the mines last night when I found this! The ice of it was so hard that the tear turned to crystal! I knew that I had to bring it home for my boy! But then a Yeti found me as I was leaving with it! It didn’t want to let me escape! And do you know what I did?”

The toddler’s eyes were wide as saucers as he leaned forward, anticipating the climactic ending. “What?!” he nearly shouted, unable to contain his excitement.

“I punched that Yeti straight in the nose and barely escaped to bring this home just for you!” his father finished, a broad grin spreading across his face. “What do you think, Seb?”

“My daddy is the best daddy ever!” Sebastian cheered, hugging Colin with all of his might.

.

One Week Later

Robin felt the knocking would never stop. She checked the clock beside her bed. It was the middle of the night? Who in the world would be trying to get her attention at this hour? Her heart sank in her chest as she thought more about it. There was only one type of person to bang insistently on someone’s door this late into the night. She felt sick as she got out of her bed and practically dragged herself to the door and opened it.

“Are you Mrs. McCarthy?” a police officer asked her. 

As the officer rattled on with what he had to tell her, Robin felt as if she were just trapped in a nightmare. She could no longer feel anything. It was more of a numb and empty feeling filling her entire body. There was no way the mineshaft Colin and his team were in could collapse. Colin wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. That was impossible. This had to be a nightmare. All she had to do was wake up.

.

Throughout the next week, Robin slowly came to accept the fact that it wasn’t a nightmare. She was a widow now, and that was a fact that she could live without. Her heart ached whenever she looked at all of the gifts Colin had brought from the mine. How could something like that have happened?

“Momma, don’t cry,” Sebastian would tell her every time he found her crying. “Daddy will be home soon, and then we will all be happy again.”

Robin would grab her son and hold him close, wishing that his words were true. More than anything, she wanted Colin to come home and for everything to go back to the way it should be. She knew that Sebastian didn’t understand the concept of death, and she was still unsure of how to tell him that his father was never coming back. Maybe with time, it would be easier, but in that moment, it certainly wasn’t.

She had signed herself up for grief counseling in the city, but none of that seemed to help. Her heart was still in pieces, and she felt she would never recover. Robin felt she would never love again, or at least not in the way she loved Colin. It didn’t feel right to move on, nor did it feel right to remain grieving like this. She would often wonder what Colin would want her to do, but she knew the answer to that without having to think hard at all. He would have wanted her to continue living her life as happily as she could. But how could she ever do that if he’s not there to share it with her?

.

One month into grief counseling, as Robin was walking to her car, she felt the full weight of losing her husband, knocking her to her knees. For a moment, she just sat there and cried before she heard someone next to her in the parking garage.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” a man’s voice asked her. “I would ask if you’re okay, but I can already tell that you’re not.” The voice belonged to a tall, American American man, and his smile brought warmth to Robin as she looked up at him. “May I help you up? Your clothes will get dirty if you keep sitting there like that, and that would be a real shame.”

As he helped her to her feet, Robin felt hope in her heart. Was this a new beginning?

.

Present Day

“Chuck!” Fia cried out as she chased her dog through Pelican Town. “Please come back here, boy! Don’t go bothering everyone!” She doubled over to catch her breath as Alex appeared to catch him. Her heart slammed against her ribcage as she took in deep gulps of air. “I’m so sorry, Alex!” she shouted to the jock once she could breathe again. “He barely ever leaves the farm, so I don’t know why he ran off today!”

“Don’t worry about it, Fia,” Alex replied, walking her dog back over to her. “These things happen with dogs, it’s nothing to get too worried about, especially in a remote place like Stardew Valley. It’s nothing like the city, so you don’t have to worry about any big trucks or anything hurting him.”

“I suppose you’re right about that,” she panted before standing up. Her eyes drifted up toward the mountain, where Sebastian lived. “Alex, do you ever go up into the mountain?”

“I go when Granny has some stuff for the Wright family, but it’s not too often,” he answered. “Why, you going up there today or something?”

Fia blushed, scraping the toe of her boot against the pavement as she spoke. “I kinda spooked Sebastian a week or so ago,” she slowly began. “He rescued me from the mine or something like that. I dunno, he was just a bit on edge, even after he knew I was okay. Robin made me sleep on the couch in his room that night. I kinda want to make it up to him since his panic was my fault and all. Do you know what he likes?”

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” Alex asked, stunned. “You actually talked to Sebastian McCarthy? He doesn’t really come around much or talk to anyone but Sam and Abigail. How did you manage that?”

“I dunno. We just kinda insulted each other back and forth, and then he backed off once he found out I was the new farmer here,” she replied with a shrug. “Then I went back to sleep and left the next morning. It was a pretty weird night, I can say that much.”

“If you’re wanting to get him something to make up for it or whatever, you’d have better luck asking Sam or Abby. They know him better than anyone else here in the valley.” Alex grinned at Fia. “While you’re doing that, do you think I can play with Chuck for a bit? My own dog won’t really come out of his doghouse anymore.”

“Yeah, go for it!” Fia chirped. “I appreciate that actually! You’re a rockstar, Alex!”

After saying her goodbyes, Fia decided to go to the general store that Abigail’s father owned. The family lived above it, so Fia made her way toward the back of the store and up the stairs. She hesitated a little before knocking on Abigail’s door. Was it really okay to ask Sebastian’s friends about him? Granted, she would ask him herself, but his door was always locked when she went to his house. This was the only way to make it up to him.

“Fia!” Abigail greeted, throwing open her bedroom door. “What a nice surprise! How are you today?”

“I’m having a pretty pleasant day, Abby, and yourself?”

“Same as always, I guess,” the purple-haired girl laughed. “Still just trying to beat my video game. I don’t understand why they have to make them so difficult, you know?”

Fia felt bad for rushing the conversation along, but repaying Sebastian was really bothering her. “Hey, Abby…” She struggled to find the proper words to use. “I heard that you’re good friends with Sebastian. By any chance, would you happen to know what kinds of things he likes? He helped me about a week ago and I want to give him something to show him my appreciation.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Fia!” Abigail ushered the other girl into her room excitedly. “Hmm, let’s see. I always see you eating at the Stardrop Saloon, so my guess is that you don’t know how to cook, do you?”

Blushing, Fia shook her head. “Not really. I want to learn, so I’ve been experimenting with recipes, but I don’t feel my cooking is good enough to give to someone, you know.”

“That’s understandable,” the other girl laughed. “After all, Sebastian likes foods that aren’t exactly novice-level when it comes to cooking. Let’s see, what else is there?” She thought for a moment before asking, “Have you ever been into the mines? I know he likes gemstones. But then again, he doesn’t really like them as much as I do.” Abigail thought for a few more moments. “Damn, he’s hard to gift to. I should really talk to him about that. He’s just so picky sometimes.”

Abigail’s expression became clouded as she thought of the one thing her friend would love to obtain more than anything. “Fia, I know one of the best things you could get him. But it’s deep within the mines.”

Fia leaned forward, listening intently. “What is it, Abby?”

“Have you ever heard of frozen Yeti tears?”


	3. Chapter 3

Fia pulled herself up the last ladder out of the mine and wiped her sweat from her brow. She reached down into her bag and pulled out the one thing she had ventured in there for. Her eyes lit up as she examined the Yeti tear in proper lighting. It was beautiful and she could understand why Sebastian seemed to like it so much. She was determined to give it to him after she had washed up. Hopefully he’d be on a smoke break by then.

And sure enough, he was. For a moment, Fia stood there and admired how peaceful he looked while smoking a cigarette by the mountain lake. Though she didn’t exactly approve of smoking, something about the way Sebastian looked with a cigarette in his mouth left her breathless. Yet for the life of her, she couldn’t understand why she found Sebastian so beautiful. Was it because he was there to help her on the night she collapsed? After all, once she left he hadn’t exactly spoken to her since. Would he even remember who she was? She suddenly wondered if getting him a gift was in her best interests.

“Farm Girl?” Sebastian called out to her, seeing her illuminated by the moonlight. “What are you doing up here so late? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to climb a mountain at night? Why are you always doing shit like this? Do you ever think?”

“Stop nagging me,” she groaned, walking over to him. “You sound like an old lady or something.” Once she reached him, she was surprised to find him smirking at her. “What’s with you? You like being compared to the elderly or something?” she teased.

“Shut up,” he chuckled, taking a drag from his cigarette. He blew the smoke away from her. “What are you here for anyway? Isn’t it pretty late? If you need my mom, I think she’s already in bed. You might want to try again tomorrow.”

“I’m here for you, not her,” Fia blurted out before she could stop herself. She was suddenly grateful for the dim lighting so he couldn’t see the furious blush that coated her cheeks. “I got you something to thank you for helping me that one night.” Praying she wouldn’t have to remind him any further of that night, she began to rummage through her bag. “I hope you’ll accept it.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Sebastian quickly replied, putting his cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe and tucking the butt of it into his pocket. “I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but it’s not like I did anything warranting praise. I just--” His voice immediately cut out when he eyed the blue crystal in her hand. “W-Where did you get that?” he asked, throat instantly going dry. “How…?”

“Someone told me that you like these,” she slowly answered, extending the crystal toward him. “And during one of my mining adventures, I discovered one, so I thought I’d bring it back for you to thank you for what you did to help me.” She stared at the crystal, waiting for him to accept it from her. “Would you like it?”

Sebastian hesitantly reached out and took the crystal from her hands, smiling at it fondly before slipping it into his pocket that didn’t have the cigarette butt in it. “Thanks, Fia,” he quietly said. “I really love it. It’s probably one of the best things you could have given me.”

Fia’s face was growing hotter and hotter by the moment. “I’m glad you like it, Sebastian,” she told him. For a few moments, she lingered there awkwardly before turning away from him. “I should probably get home. As you said, it’s late and climbing can be a bit dangerous. I’ll see you next time I’m up here.”

“Like tomorrow?” he asked before he could stop himself. “I mean, maybe we can hang out sometime when you find yourself up here. I don’t really go into town much, so you can always find me here, unless it’s a Friday night. Usually I play pool with Sam on Fridays.”

She turned back to him and smiled. “Yeah,” she softly said, “like tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”

.

When Sebastian stepped back into the house, he was instantly ambushed by Robin. He gasped in surprise and put a hand to his chest, trying to slow his rapid heartbeat from being spooked by his own mother. For a moment, he just stood there in shock before she spoke.

“Was that Fia who was out there with you?” she asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Why didn’t you invite her in?”

“She had to get home,” he told her. “She only stopped by to thank me for that thing a couple weeks ago, you know, the night I brought her here after she collapsed. It’s no big deal.” His hand instinctively went into his pocket and clutched the Yeti tear as a small smile played on his lips. “Anyway, I’m going to go to my room and get back to work.”

“How do you feel about her, Sebby?” Robin asked, stopping him in his tracks. “She’s pretty, isn’t she? As far as I know, she’s single. Fia’s the only girl I’ve seen you be friendly to other than Abigail. I wouldn’t mind having her for a daughter-in-law, you know.”

Sebastian’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “Like that would ever happen. There are other guys in Pelican Town, you know. Guys who don’t just stay at home all day and program things in their room, only coming out for smoke breaks. Guys who are more social would be better for her.”

“But you don’t deny that she’s pretty, do you?” his mother asked. “You know, I think you two would be good for each other, but maybe that’s me being a bit biased.”

“It definitely is, Mom,” he assured her. “Goodnight.” Before she could say anything in response, he made his way down to the basement and locked his bedroom door after himself.

Him? Having a crush on Fia? He didn’t even know her. Sure, she was pretty, but that didn’t mean he could have any chance with her, or even wanted one. The weight of the Yeti tear was heavy in his pocket as he thought about it. Had she really gone that far into the mine to grab something like that just for him? What did that mean about her? Would she have done something like that for Alex or Sam?

Deciding not to think too far into it, Sebastian decided to go to bed early. After all, who could properly work with things like that on their mind?

.

Fia knocked on Sebastian’s bedroom door and entered once he called out for her to. She slowly walked into the dark basement room that she had woken up in that one night. Her eyes observed her surroundings as she noted there was a new poster or two on the wall near his computer. It was almost endearing to know that Sebastian still had things he cared about.

“Oh, hey,” he greeted, still tapping away at his computer keyboard. “Give me one sec.” He furiously typed at the keys for a few moments before looking up at her. “Okay. Sorry about that. I just needed to finish what I was working on.”

Curiosity got the best of Fia as she wandered over to his side to peek at the computer screen. It was a mesh of numbers in a code that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Just the thought of knowing that Sebastian knew exactly what that jumbled mess on his computer screen meant was enough to impress her immensely. “What are you working on?” she slowly asked, green eyes finally drifting over to him.

“I do freelance work as a programmer,” he explained as a soft ping echoed around his bedroom. He opened a chat window that had popped up and sighed after reading it. “That was an instant message from Sam….I guess he wants to hang out….” Sebastian leaned back in his chair and groaned, closing his eyes. “I don’t really feel like going out today.”

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs suddenly reached the ears of both people in the room before the door opened and Robin walked in, looking slightly surprised to see Fia in her son’s room. “Oh, hi Fia,” she greeted. Robin carefully approached the desk. “Sebby, I know you don’t like it when I come in here...but I ran into Abigail at the store and she said she was looking for you.”

Sebastian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose without opening his eyes. “Did you tell her I’m working?” he huffed.

His mother sighed, staring down at the desk. “I did...but she said she’d probably stop by anyway.”

With an irritated sigh, Sebastian sat back up and opened his eyes, only to look at the computer screen instead of Robin or Fia. “No one takes my job seriously. No one ever bothers Maru when she’s working at the clinic,” he complained, frustration showing in his tone. “Does everyone think I’m just surfing the web all day?”

On that note, Robin knew not to pester him any further and left the bedroom just as quickly as she had come.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Fia decided to try to break the ice with him. “So what are your plans with this?” she asked, gesturing to his computer screen. “Do you have any goals you’re working toward?”

“Well, I’m trying to save up so I can move out of here,” he admitted, almost as if he felt guilty about it. “Probably to the city or something.” For a moment, he was silent before continuing. “You know, if I’d gone to college I’d probably be making six figures by now...but I just don’t want to be part of that corporate rat race, you know?” Sebastian frowned. “Well, and I guess I just feel more comfortable hidden behind the computer than dealing with people face-to-face.” With a sigh, he turned back to Fia. “Well, I should get back to work...I need to get this module finished by tomorrow.”

“I think it’s great that you’re working toward the goals you’ve set for yourself,” Fia quietly told him. “If anything, I find it admirable. What you do is a real job, Sebastian, and I’m sorry that people don’t take it seriously. A lot of people would be lost without programmers, you know.” She offered him a kind smile. “I should probably let you get back to work, huh? Thank you for making time to at least say hi to me.”

Sebastian called out to her when she turned to walk away. “Do you want to see how to program?” he asked her. “Sometimes, it can be a bit challenging, but it can also be pretty fun. If you want, you can pull up a chair and I’ll show you what I do for work.”

She quickly pulled up the chair that was in front of his other computer and placed it next to his. “I’ve never seen something like this being done,” she admitted, smiling. “Thank you for allowing me to watch.” Fia couldn’t help but notice the scent of his cologne mixed with cigarette smoke. Something about it seemed slightly intoxicating, but she knew she couldn’t focus on that. It would be rude to focus on anything but Sebastian’s programming, but as she leaned closer to the computer- and him - she found herself lost in his scent. So this is what Sebastian smelled like on a daily basis. Interesting indeed.

.

Sebastian finished up the module sooner than expected and was surprised that Fia stuck around the entire time. Not only that, but she actually paid attention to what he was doing and even asked questions. No one else had put that much effort into understanding what he did for a living. This girl was definitely different from the type of girl he was used to dealing with, that was for sure. Even Abigail would opt to sit on his couch while he programmed.

Though he did mess up the code a couple times, but maybe it was because Fia was watching and leaning so close to him. He couldn’t help but notice that she had a bit of an earthy scent to her, though that was probably due to her working on a farm. But after awhile, he noticed another scent that mixed with her earthy one. Lavender. He almost wanted to ask her about it, but he knew that wouldn’t go over well.

“You learn something new every day, huh?” she giggled, smiling at him as he closed out of the program. Her green eyes went toward the clock on his computer screen. “I didn’t realize how late it got! I should probably get home!” Fia rose from her chair and moved it back to its original spot. “Thank you so much for showing me this, Sebastian! I had a lot of fun today!”

After bidding her farewell and walking her out, he decided to have smoke. His nerves were going haywire. Usually he could sit there for extended periods of time, sometimes even longer than he had sat there that day, so why was he so antsy? He lit his cigarette and thought about it as he took a puff. What made today different?

Then it hit him. Fia. She was what made it different. Even though Abigail had watched him program once or twice, he didn’t feel like this afterwards? What made Fia so different from Abigail?


	4. Chapter 4

On rainy days, Sebastian had a habit of going to the beach and standing on the docks as it rained. Something about it calmed him, almost as if he wished the rain would simply wash him away with it. Though everyone in the valley knew that this was what he did, there was only one person who didn’t seem to get that he didn’t like others bothering him.

“Hey, why are you just standing here in the rain?” Fia asked, approaching him on the dock on a rainy day. She squinted her eyes to get a better view of the horizon. “Wow, this is such a pretty view! Now I see why you come here! I didn’t know if it would be okay to come and chat with you like this, but oh well.” She grinned up at him, green eyes sparkling. “I’m glad I got curious enough to come see this too!”

“The sea is best enjoyed alone, don’t you think?” he flatly asked her, glaring over at her to see if she’d pick up on the hint he dropped her.

Fia was completely unfazed. “I suppose so, but doesn’t that get lonely sometimes?” she asked, settling her gaze back out on the uncontrolled waters before them. “Granted, you’re probably used to being alone with how much time you spend in your bedroom, but don’t you get sad sometimes? I think I’d be really sad if I spent all of my time by myself, but I suppose it does work for some people.” She stared out toward the ocean before sighing. “I guess I’ll get going. I’m sorry for bothering you.”

As she turned to leave, Sebastian found himself calling out to her. “You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to, Farm Girl. I’m just not used to someone standing next to me.”

“Well, I have a few things I have to do, but maybe next time?” she suggested, smiling widely at him. Fia twitched her hand at him in a quick wave. “Maybe I’ll see you next time! Make sure you take care not to get sick, okay?”

Sebastian watched her walk back up the dock toward the beach and couldn’t help but wonder where she got such a personality. He couldn’t help but think that with a personality like hers, she could even get George to like her.

For the rest of his time at the docks, he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d hold through on her word of coming to watch the rain with him next time.

.

“How can you support his smoking habit?” Demetrius asked his wife one night in his lab at the top of the stairs. “It’s bad for him, and yet you’re still here acting like it’s no big deal. Robin, do you know the terrible things it can do to your son’s health?”

“Sebby is an adult, so it’s not like there’s anything I can do,” she simply replied, leaning against the doorframe. “It’s his life, and I respect that. I mean, he’s twenty-five, Demetrius. I’d say he can do whatever he wants at this point.”

“But does he have to smoke in the house? I know that the basement is his domain, but sometimes it comes up from the vents, and I’d rather not smell that.”

“I mean, when I was a kid, I told her I’d rather not have you marrying her, but Mom doesn’t really seem to care,” Sebastian chimed in from the top of the stairs. He was still a bit disheveled, having woken up due to their arguing. “Honestly, I like it that Mom thinks for herself, even if it did end up bringing you and Maru here.” He scrunched his nose in distaste before kissing Robin’s cheek in greeting. “Morning, Mom.”

“Seb, it’s not even noon yet,” Robin sighed, frowning at her son. “Can’t you at least try to be nice?”

“Maybe I will once he does,” he suggested, shooting a glare to Demetrius. “Until then, I have things to do. It’s a nice day, so I think I’ll go and fix up my bike. The toolbox is still in the garage, right?” Sebastian headed down the hall toward the kitchen.

“Yes, but please don’t use my new tools, hun!” Robin called after him, though she knew by this point her words would fall on deaf ears.

“At least he’ll be outside getting some sunshine,” Demetrius sighed. He frowned and turned back to his microscope. “Let’s talk more later, Robin.”

.

Accompanied by an extensively colorful vocabulary, Sebastian’s hands moved with skill as he repaired his motorcycle. Sometimes he wondered if he had inherited his mother’s skill of being able to fix things with hardly any trouble. Though his bike had been out of commission for the past two years after he accidentally wrecked it, he hadn’t found the motivation to repair it until the past month or so. That was why he worked on it whenever the weather permitted it.

Perhaps if he fixed it up good enough, he’d be able to impress Fia with it. She seemed like the type of girl to be impressed by things of that sort. If he was wrong, at least he could offer to take her for a ride on it. After all, ever since she had come to the valley, his life didn’t seem as dull as it used to be.

There was something about Fia that drew him to her. She was the type of girl to accept life for what it was and not try to force it to be what she expected. The way she took on every challenge head-on was truly admirable, and Sebastian found himself more and more drawn to her as every day passed. Robin kept teasing him and saying it was a crush, but he still wasn’t for sure on what his true feelings toward her were. Was she just a friend, or did he want her to become something more?

That afternoon, as he diligently went to work on his motorcycle, he heard footsteps that didn’t sound like anyone in his family. Curious, he slid out from under the motorcycle on his creeper and was surprised to see Fia smiling down at him.

Her green eyes held a mischievous sparkle as she giggled. “Hey there, Sebastian! I didn’t know you owned a bike! It’s nice!”

“Oh, hello Fia,” he greeted, feeling his cheeks flush. He must look disgusting with motor oil all over him. He smirked at her. “What, you haven’t seen my motorcycle before? Hmm….I guess I haven’t shown it to you.” Careful not to snag his clothes on anything, he slid back under his motorcycle and went back to work on it. “Sometimes, after sundown, I make the long ride out of Stardew Valley…” He couldn’t help but to sigh as he thought of the wind in his hair as he rode along the winding roads. “There’s nothing else like it, blazing along the empty stretch of road toward the faint city glow…” His heart pounded in his chest as the adrenaline of just thinking about it hit him. “Once I’ve saved up enough money, I’m going to head out on my own...to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike.”

He tightened his last bolt into place and smiled to himself. “There we go, oil’s changed,” Sebastian stated more to himself than to her, proud of his work. He slid out from under his motorcycle once again and looked up at her. “Hey….Maybe I’ll let you ride sometime, if you want.”

“That sounds fun,” she cheerfully giggled, grinning down at him. Her smile was brighter than he had ever recalled it being, causing him to fight the blush that threatened to coat his cheeks.

“Great,” he replied. “Then it’s settled. Once I get her up and running, you’re the first person that I’ll take on a ride.”

“I look forward to it,” Fia replied, stepping closer to the bike to admire it. Her eyes widened in awe, and Sebastian couldn’t help but feel proud of himself. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before, so it’ll be a great new experience if I get to share it with you, don’t you think?”

Sebastian was suddenly grateful for the motor oil splotched all over his face and body. It covered the redness in his cheeks as he practically dove back under his bike to hide it. “I suppose so,” he said, ignoring the giggle that he heard escape her lips.

.

“Hey, are you dating Fia?” Maru asked her brother one morning as he walked into the kitchen. She was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal, a steaming mug of coffee in one hand with the newspaper laid out in front of her.

Sebastian nearly tripped over his own feet but caught himself in time. “What’s it to you?” he bluntly asked, walking over to the fridge and opening it. If there was one thing he didn’t need at all, it was Maru poking her nose into his personal business.

“You’re not the only person interested in her, you know,” she simply stated. “I know of at least three other people.” She turned to lock eyes with him. “All I’m saying is that if you truly care about Fia in a romantic way, you should probably make it better known. Just yesterday, Elliot came into the clinic to be patched up after nearly tumbling off the bridge from the beach. According to him, he was so distracted by such a beautiful farmer. She even caught Alex’s attention, you know.”

He grabbed the milk out of the fridge and shut it a littler harder than was necessary. If what Maru was saying was true, did that mean Fia might end up married to one of those idiots? And if she did marry one of them, would she come around anymore? “Whatever,” he grumbled, pouring himself a glass of milk.

“I’m only telling you this because I thought you should know,” she replied before shoveling a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. “You deserve to be happy, and I feel that she makes you happy. After all, you’re different when she’s around. Something about you seems more relaxed, and I see the way you look at her when she’s not paying attention.”

“Shut up,” he groaned, throwing his head back. Sebastian downed the glass of milk in three large gulps before rinsing it and placing it in the sink with the other dirty dishes. “You’re butting into things that don’t concern you, Maru.”

“Just don’t whine to me if you lose the only girl who would have been good for you, okay?”

With a huff, Sebastian stormed out of the kitchen. Who did Maru think she was, calling him out on that? Yet why did he also feel that she was right? Would he be able to handle it if Fia started dating someone? What if she married them? Would there be any room in her heart left for him once she started a family with someone?

He didn’t want to think about it. There was no way that he could. Being with someone like Fia was impossible for him. She was so bright and bubbly, so there was no doubt she had many friends in Pelican Town. And what was he in comparison? Dark and moody, stubborn and irritable. What could he possibly give her in comparison to literally anyone else there?

Looking toward the window, he saw that it was raining and decided to get dressed and go to the docks. The mud from the path squished under his feet, making unsettling noises, but he couldn’t find it in himself to gripe about it or care. All he wanted was to stand on the dock as it rained, and maybe Fia would come and join him again like she had said the last time. He could only hope.

After three hours of standing alone in the rain while looking out on the horizon, Sebastian went home. Fia didn’t end up joining him. Then again, why would she? There were plenty of people who were better to spend her time with. She shouldn’t be wasting it with someone like him anyway. After all, he was just going to leave this place as soon as he got the chance.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday nights were the only nights when Sebastian ever really went out. It was more like if he didn’t go, Sam would come and drag him out, and he didn’t have the energy to fight him. He usually met up with Sam and Abigail to play pool at the Stardrop Saloon, the three of them always kicking back a few beers in the process.

In the past few weeks, Fia would come and sit next to Abigail, the two giggling together over their quiet discussions. It made Sebastian wonder what they were discussing, but he never had the courage to actually ask. Maybe it was better that way. After all, it wasn’t as if he was close enough to Fia for any of it to be his business anyway.

Feeling the beers hitting his bladder, he called for a time-out with Sam to use the bathroom. He told Abigail and Fia to keep an eye on Sam to make sure he didn’t cheat, causing his best friend to groan and protest to ever cheating at anything in his life. Knowing it was better not to argue at this point, he hurried off down the hallway to the bathroom.

As he emerged from the bathroom, he noticed Fia waiting for him in the hallway. Her cheeks were flushed as she looked up at him, obviously drunk. “Fia?” he asked. “Are you okay? You don’t really seem like yourself. Are you sure you’re not too drunk?”

She grabbed his hand, taking him to the back storage room. “Seb, I need to talk to you about something,” she slowly began, looking up at him. Her hands reached out and grabbed his. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I woke up in your room.”

Much to Sebastian’s surprise, her lips crashed into his before he could say anything back. For a moment, he resisted before giving in. His heart pounded as they made out in the back room, but his mind soon snapped back to reality as he pulled away from her.

“This is wrong,” he simply said to her, ignoring the pout on her face. “Fia, you’re drunk. I can’t kiss you like this when you’re not in your right state of mind. That isn’t right of me to do. You can’t do something like this with me while you’re drunk. All you’ll do is regret it in the end.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“But I don’t want to go home, Seb,” she complained. “I want to stay with you. I’ve had my eye on you since I first came here. Please let me stay with you.”

He shook his head. “I can’t, Fia. We don’t need to end up doing something we’ll regret. I’ll walk you home. Let’s go.” Sebastian took her back to the front and explained to Sam and Abigail that he needed to take her home, neither questioning it.

It was a silent walk back to the farm, Sebastian keeping a firm grip on Fia’s hand as they walked. He sighed once they were on her porch. “I’m sorry for ruining your night, Fia,” he told her. “But I just don’t think this is a good idea. There are plenty of better people here than me. Besides, I’m moving away before too long. I’m not worth it. We can’t do things like this, because in the end, who knows what will last and what won’t.” He held his breath when he looked up to see tears in her eyes. “Please don’t look at me like that, Fia. It’s taking all of my willpower to tell you this. If you cry, then I just might take it all back.”

Fia slowly nodded her head as she pulled her key out of her pocket, fumbling with her front door. She looked up at him once it was unlocked. “Is this really where I stand?” she softly asked him. Her eyes went to the floor of the porch when he didn’t reply back. “Just because you say these things, that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. You don’t get to decide how I feel, Sebastian. That’s not your choice.” For a brief moment, her lips met his before she opened her front door and stepped in. “Be careful on your way home.”

He stood there for a few moments after she shut her door after her. His heart was pounding and twisting in ways that made him feel as if he would be sick. Yet somewhere deep down, he hoped that she meant those words. Deep down, he wanted her to return his feelings for her.

.

Sebastian sighed as he got the table in his room ready to play Solarion Chronicles: The Game with Sam. He peered up at the blond from behind his book, seeing him making himself company and not bothering to ask if the other needed any help. Typical Sam. With a frown, Sebastian finished putting the pieces on the map where they needed to be.

The door to Sebastian’s bedroom opened as Fia poked her head in. She grinned when she saw Sebastian and Sam sitting at the table together. “I hope I’m disturbing everything,” she giggled as she entered, shutting the door after her. Her small, thin frame wandered over to the table as she gazed at the game pieces on it in wonder.

Sebastian looked up at her and smiled. “Hey, Fia,” he greeted. “Sam and I were just getting ready to play Solarion Chronicles: The Game.” He stopped to think for a moment. “Why don’t you join us? It’s better with three players anyway.” He couldn’t help but smile as Fia eagerly sat down at the table with them. “Okay, here we go.” His hands reached out to draw a card. “Let me draw the scenario card.”

He read the card, thinking aloud. “Hmm… It looks like today’s quest will lead us into the Necromancer’s Tower… to try and reclaim the Solarion Staff from the clutches of Dreadlord Xarth.”

Sam grinned widely. “Cool!” He turned his smile toward the girl at the table. “Fia, are you ready to choose your character?”

Her green eyes flickered down toward the character cards as she studied them. After a moment, she spoke up. “I want to be the wizard. A sharp mind is the most powerful blade of all.” With a smile, she picked up the character card and placed it before her.

Sebastian instantly blushed, fumbling for another character card. “Hey! That’s what I was going to pick!” Fia blushed as she averted her gaze from him. “I guess I’ll be the healer then.”

The blond picked up the last character card. “Cool. Warrior’s my favorite anyway.”

Sebastian cleared his throat, shuffling the game script in front of him. “Let’s begin,” he stated, getting into the mood to play. “The king has entrusted you and your companions with recovering the Solarion Staff….a task which, if completed successfully, will ensure your place in the hall of legends as well as a sizable fortune of gold and silver. After a long month journeying across unforgiving lands, you step out onto a precipice to see your destination looming in the distance. There, beyond a moonlit plain, lies the Necromancer’s Tower….where Dreadlord Xarth usurps the power of the stolen Solarion Staff for his vile purposes. The tower lies before you. What will you do?”

“My first thought is to charge in,” Sam explains, “but I think I should talk it over with Fia.” He turned to her, smiling widely. “How do you think we should hand this?”

She thinks for a moment before replying with, “Let’s go in the front. Fortune favors the bold, after all.”

The blond snickered before whispering to Sebastian, “She gets just about as into this as you do, man!”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked back down at the script. “A skeleton guards the hallway before you. It looks dangerous. What do you do?”

Fia once more thought about what to do while Sam watched her, amused. “Let’s fight it,” she told the other two.

The dark-haired man smiles. “The skeleton lunges forward!”

Sam grinned. “I’ve got this! Let’s put our shields up! I didn’t come all the way to this stupid tower to get taken out by a pile of bones!” He smiled proudly when he heard Fia giggle beside him. “We’re guarding.”

“You successfully block the attack,” Sebastian continues, smirking at his best friend. “The skeleton stumbles backward, giving you enough time to strike out and slay the foul creature!”

Fia threw her hands up with a cheer of success while the boys watched her, smiling to themselves. She was definitely more fun to play this with than Abigail. The violet-haired girl didn’t seem to understand the game, much to Sebastian and Sam’s dismay.

“You continue down the hallway, taking care not to step on the skeleton’s remains.”

“What do you mean by that?” the farmer whined. “I want to dance on that bitch’s grave!”

Sam couldn’t hold back his laughter like Sebastian could and clapped her on the back. “Don’t worry, Fia, there will be plenty more enemies to do that to!” He smiled as he saw her physically perk up over his words.

Unable to hold back his grin, Sebastian continued. “You find yourself in a sewer-like corridor.” He fought back a grin when he saw Fia crinkle her nose in disgust. “To your left, a hallway glows with a peculiar green light. To your right, a staircase leads up into the dark. Where do you go?”

Fia exchanged a glance with Sam before nodding and turning to Sebastian. “We’re going up those stairs. If this man is as evil as you say, then he’ll definitely be in the dark.”

“You find yourselves outside of the demon’s lair,” he replied. “A large wooden door with a pentagram stands between you and your enemy. The time has come to face Dreadlord Xarth. He raises his voice as you enter.” Sebastian cleared his throat to do his best villain impression. “‘Intruders? How dare you trespass in my private chambers! Ah, so you’ve come for the Solarion Staff….Hehehe….fools. You’ll make a nice addition to my skeleton army!’ Dreadlord Xarth is muttering an incantation….What do you do?”

Taking everything into consideration, Fia bit her lip as she thought. “I’m going to place a ‘Shield Charm’ on both of you!” she decided.

Surprised, Sebastian blinks at her technique. “Xarth sends bolts of pure dark energy flying. One of them strikes me, but your ‘Shield Charm’ reflects it back into Xarth’s face! Xarth is defeated, and the Solarion Staff glows peacefully. Order has been restored to the world.”

The farmer jumps up from the table, energetically pumping her fists into the air. “Yeah! We won! In your face, Dreadlord Xarth!” She was too excited to notice the fond and knowing glances of Sebastian and Sam.

“Hey, not bad!” the dark-haired man congratulated. “It took me like, three or four tries to beat my first scenario.” He ignored Sam’s snickering beside him. “Thanks for stopping by….I’ll see you later.” He stood up from the table and walked over to her. “Let me walk you out, Fia.”

She smiled and accepted the offer. At the door, she turned to him and smiled. “I always seem to have fun when I’m with you, Sebby,” she admitted. “Let’s do this more often, okay?”

“Sounds good to me. Make sure you’re careful on your way home. Text me when you get there, okay?”

“Will do,” Fia replied. She opened the door and turned back to him. Her lips pressed against his cheek before she bolted out the door and in the direction of the town.

Sebastian stood there, dumbstruck. He brought his hand to his cheek, still able to feel her lips on it. What was that? What did she mean by that?

“Hey Romeo, mind closing the door?” Robin asked from her desk behind him. “We don’t want to let the bugs in.”

Mortified that his mother had seen Fia kiss him, he quickly closed the door and rushed back down to his room.


	6. Chapter 6

Sebastian stretched at his computer, fingers aching from typing so much. He yawned, cracking his knuckles as he raised his arms above his head. So much left to do in so little time. His deadline was midnight and he was about halfway done. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was about eight. Four hours left. Just enough time for a smoke break before powerhousing through the rest of the code.

He grabbed his cigarettes off of his desk along with his lighter and stomped up the stairs to go outside. Once outside, he went to his favorite area to smoke, looking out over the lake. The stars were twinkling above him, and it almost made him glad it wasn’t some gloomy, cloudy night.

“Sebby!” a voice cried out to him from the direction of the mine. He turned to see Fia running over to him. “I thought that was you! Then again you kinda are the only person in Pelican Town who dresses that way! That’s when I knew it was definitely you!” She came to a stop beside him, her long brown hair a mess from running. “I just wanted to say hi!”

He couldn’t help but crack a sarcastic smile at her words. “Hi? You ran like hell out of that mine, yelling at me the whole way over, just to say hi?” Sebastian chuckled to himself as he slipped his cigarette between his lips and lit it. “Hi, Fia.”

She put her hands on her hips and stared at him, looking like a disapproving mother. “You really shouldn’t be smoking like that,” she told him. “Those things can kill you.” Fia frowned as he looked her in the eyes while taking a long drag and blowing it out his nostrils. “Stop! I’m serious, Sebastian! What if you got lung cancer or something?! You could die from that!”

“So?” he asked, taking another drag. “It’s not like that really matters.”

Fia scraped at the dirt of the mountain floor with the toe of her boot, staring down at the ground. “It matters to me,” she quietly said. “You may think it doesn’t matter to anyone, but you’re wrong. I want you to live a long and healthy life, not just throw it away over a vice. I get that smoking is a bad habit that’s hard to quit, but I also know that with the way you are, you’re strong enough to stop if you choose to. It doesn’t have to be immediate, but I don’t want your lifespan shortened by something so stupid.”

Sebastian had to bite back his snarky response of, “What’s it to you?” knowing that something like that was definitely uncalled for. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he didn’t really see how any of his bad habits could possibly be her business. Instead he frowned sympathetically to her. “I’ll think about it,” he finally decided to say, kicking a pebble into the lake. “Does that work for you?”

“Only if you put some actual thought into it,” she replied. Fia shivered a little as a cold breeze hit her. “Winter’s really on it’s way, isn’t it? Don’t you find that strange? It feels as if it were only spring yesterday.” She smiled up at Sebastian. “What’s your favorite season?”

He thought for a moment. “I’d have to say it’s probably autumn. The weather is all the perfect temperature and the leaves all change colors up here in the mountains, so that’s pretty cool.”

Her eyes took in the trees around her as she smiled at the many different colors surrounding her. “You’re right, Seb! The mountains are so beautiful this time of year! You’re so lucky to live up here!” She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the mountains and trying to ignore the cigarette smoke mixed in. “I’m really glad that I came to Pelican Town. It’s definitely something I can appreciate.”

“You didn’t like the city or something?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow up at her.

“Cages come in all shapes and sizes, you know,” she sighed. “I used to work at the corporate office for Joja, and I felt as if I were wasting my life away. Living in the city felt as if I were slowly breathing in toxic fumes and wishing they would work faster on some days. And then I moved here, and everything changed. I started to look forward to every day and I fell in love with the little community. As I started making friends here, like you and Abby, I realized that there’s nowhere else I’d rather be in the entire world. Thank Yoba I came when I did, or I may have been beyond saving.”

“You’re praising Yoba for being able to move out to the sticks?”

Fia blushed. “It’s okay that you don’t understand. Maybe one day, you will. And if you never do, that’s okay too. It’s not my life goal to be understood.”

Something about those words stung Sebastian. Was she being for real? Did she really not care about being understood? As someone who had spent his entire life struggling to be understood, he didn’t exactly get why she would ever think that. To think that someone like her existed was beyond him.

“That’s pretty bold to say, don’t you think?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe, but I won’t apologize for how I feel. I spent too long living the life everyone else wanted me to live, but I never started living for myself until I moved here. Something about Pelican Town is freeing. Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine myself being anywhere else. It’s kinda weird how that works, isn’t it?”

“And here I’d rather be anywhere but here,” he sighed. Uninterested in his cigarette, he put it out with his foot before picking up the butt. “Anyway, I have a deadline at midnight. Be safe getting back.”

Fia smiled and saluted him. “Will do, Chief! Good luck with your deadline!”

Sebastian walked with her until he reached his house and then watched her from his front door until he couldn’t see her anymore. Realizing he had wasted a lot of time, he hurried inside to finish his project.

.

Another rainy day come, and Sebastian made his way down to the pier. During rainy days, he no longer waited for Fia, nor did he look for her. If she hadn’t come to stand by him for any of the others, what would make this one any different. Instead, it was just him and the rain on the pier that afternoon, just the way he had come to like it. There was no one to bother him or to misunderstand. Even Willy was inside, tending his store.

The slap of the waves against the legs of the pier sobered his thoughts, reminding him that something dangerous was always right there. On bad days, he would sometimes wonder just how easy it would be to throw himself into those waves. And the instant those thoughts entered his mind, he would rush home so that he wouldn’t be tempted to find out.

Footsteps on the pier behind him made him turn around as his eyes widened in disbelief. “Fia?” he asked, wondering if he was just imagining her there. She approached him with a smile on her face as he said, “Hey. I’m surprised to find you out here in the rain.” He turned back toward the ocean as she moved to stand beside him. “Look at those dark clouds looming over the horizon…” Sebastian sighed. “I hope they come this way.”

Fia cocked her head to the side, confused. She looked from the ocean to him and then back out to the ocean. “What makes you say that?”

“I like this weather because it makes everyone disappear….you know?” He never looked away from the ocean as he answered her. His voice was smaller as he said, “Being around people makes me feel anxious.” He glanced over at Fia before taking a deep breath and smiling. “I don’t feel that way around you, though.”

For a moment the two stood on the pier in a comfortable silence before Sebastian broke it. “We’re getting soaked…” He opened the umbrella he had decided to bring along, sheltering him from the rain. But he couldn’t help but notice that Fia was still standing in the rain. “Here…” he said, moving a little to make more space underneath the dry canopy. “There’s room for two.”

Fia blushed and slowly moved over, her arm touching his. “Thanks,” she quietly said. “I’m sorry I’m only just now getting here. Have you been waiting for me on rainy days?”

“It’s not a big deal,” he answered, not wanting to tell her that he waited here for her every single time it rained, making sure to bring his umbrella just in case if she had happened to come along that day.

“I’m glad I came out here,” she told him, levelling her gaze with the ocean. “There’s just something about the ocean that makes me want to come and stare at it, even on bleak days like this.”

For the rest of the afternoon, the two stood and chatted under the umbrella before Fia mentioned needing to go home and feed her cows. As he saw her off, he couldn’t help but feel his heart race. She really had come after all.

.

Sebastian felt as if he were going braindead as he finished a project. He quickly jumped up from his computer and grabbed his cigarettes before running out to his usual spot by the lake. Yet once he reached it, he began to think about what Fia had said about quitting smoking. Debating cutting back, he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, nearly jumping out of his skin upon hearing her voice behind him.

“Sebby!” she cheered. “Can we talk real quick?”

He whirled around to face her to see her hands behind her back, a nervous expression on her face. “Uh, sure. What’s up?” he asked, hiding his cigarettes and lighter in his pocket.

Red-faced, she brought a bouquet of flowers out from behind her back and bowed her head, thrusting it toward him. Her words came out so fast that she nearly stumbled over them. “I noticed a tradition in this town where you give a bouquet to the person you want to date, and I just can’t take it anymore!” Fia looked up at him, eyes locking with his, as she said, “Can we, uh…” Her voice trailed off as she saw him smile.

“...You want to get more serious? I feel the same way.” He reached out and accepted the bouquet, laughing at the look of disbelief on her face. “Guess this means you’re my girlfriend, huh? Looks like I’ll need to start freeing up my schedule then.”

“Y-You don’t have to worry about that!” she quickly said, eyes wide. “Just any time that you’re free, I’ll be good to spend time with you, even if I sit on your couch while you program! It really doesn’t bother me!”

“But that doesn’t seem right,” he answered. “Don’t worry, I can make it work.”

He remained outside to talk to her before she rushed off back to the farm due to it getting dark. As he walked back toward his house, his cigarettes felt like lead in his pocket. Sebastian decided in that moment that he was going to quit smoking for her. It was the least he could do.

“So it finally happened,” Robin mused from her business counter as he entered the house. She nodded to the bouquet. “I’ve been waiting for you to come in here all rosy-cheeked with a girlfriend ever since you were a teenager, you know.”

“Well, now you’ve seen it,” he quickly said before darting down to his bedroom. His heart was racing a mile a minute. So it was real! He really was dating Fia now!


End file.
